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Day: August 11, 2005

Filmmaker Jason Apuzzo has an article up at Townhall.com that will likely make your blood boil. Apparently, Hollywood studio executives are looking to cash in on the War On Terror with a spate of movies that (surprise) sypmpathize with the enemy. A sneak peek:

- "V For Vendetta." From Warner Brothers and the creators of "The Matrix" comes this film about a futuristic Great Britain that’s become a ‘fascist state.’ A masked ‘freedom fighter’ named V uses terror tactics (including bombing the London Underground) to undermine the government – leading to a climax in which the British Parliament is blown up. Natalie Portman stars as a skinhead who turns to ‘the revolution’ after doing time as a Guantanamo-style prisoner.

- "Munich." Steven Spielberg directs this film about the aftermath of the 1972 Olympic terror attacks that killed eleven Israeli athletes. "Munich"’s screenplay is written by playwrite Tony Kushner ("Angels in America&quot, who has been quoted as saying: "I think the founding of the state of Israel was for the Jewish people a historical, moral, political calamity … I wish modern Israel hadn¹t been born." The film focuses on the crisis of conscience undergone by Israeli commandos tasked with killing PLO terrorists – rather than on the barbarity of the terrorists themselves.

- "Untitled Oliver Stone 9/11 Project." Paramount will distribute Oliver Stone’s new film recounting the rescue of two Port Authority officers after the 9/11 attacks. The film will star Nicholas Cage and Maggie Gyllenhaal – who recently suggested that America was responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

As for Stone, he had this to say only a month after 9/11: "This attack was pure chaos, and chaos is energy. All great changes have come from people or events that were initially misunderstood, and seemed frightening, like madmen."

"Syriana." Starring George Clooney and Matt Damon, this Warner Brothers film – set during the first Bush administration – features a plot by American oil companies and the U.S. government to redraw Middle East borders for greater oil profiteering. The film even depicts a handsome, ‘tragic’ suicide bomber driven to jihad after being fired by an American oil company! The film’s climax comes with the jihadist launching an explosive device into an oil tanker as American oil barons and Saudi officials look on.

"The Scorpion’s Gate." Sony has optioned former terrorism-czar Richard Clarke’s novel about oil companies and Washington politicians colluding to reshape the map of the Middle East for greater oil profiteering – this time by launching a global nuclear war.

"The Chancellor Manuscript." Paramount reworks Robert Ludlum¹s 1977 thriller into an anti-Patriot Act star vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio. Here’s the film’s screenwriter, Michael Seitzman: "We live in this crazy post-Patriot Act environment where Benjamin Franklin¹s warning that ‘those that give up essential liberties for temporary security don¹t deserve either one’ are being ignored, so the subject matter seemed ripe."

"No True Glory: The Battle for Fallujah." Universal has attached Harrison Ford to star as real-life General Jim Mattis – in this story blaming the White House for the deaths of fifty Marines in one of the Iraq war’s deadliest battles. Based on the book of the same name by Bing West.

"American Dreamz." This ‘satire’ from Universal Pictures deals with Pakistani suicide bombers out to kill the US president. The film stars Hugh Grant, Richard Dreyfuss, Willem Dafoe and Mandy Moore. According to writer-director Paul Weitz ("American Pie&quot, "The film is a comic examination of … cultural obsessions" like the War on Terror "and how they can anaesthetise us to the actual issues of our day."

"Terminus." Set in the Middle East of the future, this Warner Brothers film depicts a ‘disillusioned’ war correspondent covering an ‘insurgency’ he decides he must support. The producer, Basil Iwanyk, says: "It deals head on with what some call insurgency, what some call guerilla warfare and what some call freedom fighting."

"Jarhead." This Universal release, starring Jamie Foxx and Jake Gyllenhaal, deals with the ‘dehumanization’ of Marine trainees prior to and during the 1991 Gulf War. Based on Andrew Swofford’s notorious and questionable memoirs of the same name.

And that’s not even a complete listing. How do we fight back against this disgusting display of star-studded treason? Apuzzo suggests:

The proper ‘response’ for this sort of thing is simple, if complex in execution. At some point conservatives need to raise capital, pick up cameras and start making movies of their own – much like Mel Gibson did with "The Passion." And conservatives should do this not simply to ‘rebut’ the other side, but to add depth and imagination to what has become a wasteland of popular entertainment. Most Hollywood insiders – even liberals – agree that Hollywood is in a creative depression. More conservative voices can only help what has become a bleak situation for the town, both artistically and financially.

Ab-so-lute-ly. What a switch from how WWII (for example) was portrayed in Hollywood. These ‘filmmakers’ would have thought twice before doing something like this back then. But not now. In fact, I’ve no doubt movies of this type are welcomed among the Hollywood elite. (Wink: Powerline)

On a related note, I see a few self-important twits are starting to contribute their oh-so-important opinions regarding Cindy Sheehan’s daily vigil nearby the President’s Crawford ranch. Some words of ‘wisdom’ from actress Christine Lahti:

Cindy Sheehan is my hero. She is the hero of all Americans who make up the 62% of us who oppose this war. As an American exercising her right to free speech, she is a brave, passionate, living example of democracy, and she has the undeniable force and the moral authority of a grieving mother. Being a mother of three, I can’t even imagine the depths of the grief she must feel having lost her son in this horrific war. But I can imagine that her grief and rage — her demand for justice and action — is a force that is unstoppable.

HERO? Cindy Sheehan is this woman’s HERO? Ms. Lahti, I suggest you get a clue, lady, because the real heroes are the ones out there on the battlefield fighting for your right to say incredibly stupid things. And in some instances, they’ve made the ultimate sacrifice (you ever heard of a soldier by the name of Casey Sheehan, Ms. Lahti?).

Cindy Sheehan is a grieving mother, yes, and the sadness she feels right now is understandable. But she is no hero. When her own family is asking her to please stop what she’s doing, you know there’s a problem. So Ms. Lahti, once again I implore you to:

GET A CLUE

And learn the meaning of the word "hero" before you start throwing it around, cheapening its meaning. You, and the rest of your Hollywood elitists ought to be ashamed of yourselves. I suppose this is your way of being "patriotic" though, eh?

After a week of protests by conservatives, an abortion-rights group said Thursday night it is withdrawing a television advertisement linking Supreme Court nominee John Robert to violent anti-abortion activists.

"We regret that many people have misconstrued our recent advertisement about Mr. Roberts’ record," said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

In other words, "we pulled it, but not because it was wrong, but because you misinterpreted it!"

The adorable young gentleman you see to the right is 1 year-old Alex Montgomery. Alex’s father, US Marine Lance Corporal Brian Montgomery, was killed August 1st while serving honorably in Iraq.

It is photos like these that break my heart. I know that this young man will grow up without his father. He’ll get to know him through stories told by his mother and other family members and friends, who no doubt will shower little Alex with discussions about their time spent with his father. Alex: your father was a hero.

To the families of our men and women serving overseas, I’d like to offer the sincerest thank you I possibly can, from the bottom of my heart. Obviously, the lions share of the burden of this war is shouldered by our soldiers, but the families aren’t far behind in that. From the moment their loved one(s) enlist, to the endless worrying day and night when they are sent overseas to fight for our country, the worry is always there. They are the ones who pray they don’t get that midnight phone call, or afternoon knock at the door.

I know my thank you isn’t much, and it certainly can’t bring Alex’s father back, but it’s one of many thank yous out there that millions in this country express in many ways in appreciation and respect for the service of your loved one(s). I’m sitting here today typing this because of honorable soldiers past and present who have fought for, and in some cases made the ultimate sacrifices, for me and my fellow citizens to have this freedom. Former Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) said it best here:

Never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed more for the freedom and liberty of total strangers than the American soldier. And, our soldiers don’t just give freedom abroad, they preserve it for us here at home.

For it has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest.

It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag.

Your sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers are not occupiers – they are liberators. The ultimate sacrifices made are not in vain. Your loved ones will rightly be viewed as heroes forever. Again, thank you and God bless.

I urge anyone wanting to express their show of support (via written means or care packages, etc) to please click here. Most important of all: pray. Our troops need our support now – and always. Because freedom isn’t free.

Today, Captain Ed follows up – noting a correction about the alleged intent of Fox News to air the ad that has been put at the top of the article:

Correction to This ArticleBecause of incorrect information from NARAL Pro-Choice America, an Aug. 9 article incorrectly said that a new television ad attacking Judge John G. Roberts Jr. would air on the Fox News Channel.

So not only did NARAL lie in the ad about Roberts’ "supporting abortion clinic bombers" they also lied about the ad appearing on Fox News. I’m glad to know Fox isn’t airing it, although as commenter "ArizonaTeach" noted here in the comments section a good point about the fact that almost all political ads that run are either misleading and/or lies so its about par for the course and if we frowned upon every network that ran misleading/lying political ads we’d have to frown on all of ‘em . I hope the RNC does run ads disputing this just to show the depths that groups like NARAL sink to in order to 1) raise money for their cause and 2) attempt in whatever way they can to smear anyone who they don’t believe falls in line with their very narrow worldview.